Be Here Forever
by kjcharmed
Summary: When a mission goes wrong, Jack can't cope when someone else pays the price.


SG-1 were not scheduled to make contact for another three hours, yet as Walter sat at his station the message on the screen told him different. SG-1's I.D.C was recognised and he was being asked whether to open the iris or not. General Hammond stood behind him, giving him the go-ahead. As Walter began typing on the keypad, down in the gate room the heavy metal iris started to open. Once it clunked into place and the wormhole was engaged they expected to see SG-1 emerge through the porthole. However nothing happened, no one came running through in an instant like they normally do when they dial home early. Seconds passed, for them in the computer room it was a lifetime. Then suddenly Daniel came running through the gate, down the ramp, only stopping to look up at those in the computer room. In his eyes Hammond could tell that something was wrong, maybe there had been an accident. Teal'c followed Daniel through the gate and came to stand next to him. Daniel shouted through to Hammond to open the gate room doors. The general hesitated, he was not to know that they had not been compromised, was this even the real SG-1? The next thing he saw made him forget the precautions, forget the rules and do whatever was necessary. Jack came running through the gate, faster than Hammond had seen before, this sight alone was enough to surprise them, but there was more. Jack was carrying major Carter in his arms, she looked lifeless. Hammond ordered the doors to the gate room to be opened and for a medical team to report to them _now_.

Jack ran through the complex with the thought of getting to one room on his mind. Each corridor seemed longer than the last and he knew that time was running out. He didn't have time to think about what had really happened, he didn't understand why things had gone wrong. All he knew was that the life of major Carter was in his hands, this was a responsibility that he thought he could handle. He was the leader of the team, the soul person responsible for the safety of his team. He had let them down, he had let her down. Now she was on the brink of death, light fading fast and he was the only person with her.

By the time the medical team had made it to the gate room Jack was gone and none of them were able to catch up with him as he ran through the corridors. Daniel and Teal'c tried to keep up but they had no chance. Now they were questioning members of staff as to whether they had seen him and where he was heading. They were having no luck, Jack was lost to them. Hammond was sending out a search, but the chance of finding him in time was not looking good, the base was set out over nearly thirty floors and most of the security cameras were being up dated with the latest infer red technology.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity Jack came to the room he was on a mission to find. He carried the major into the shower room and over towards one of the shower cubicles. Jack began taking off her uniform starting with her jacket. She was covered in blood and she was burning up. He threw her jacket to the side and began to make a pile as he took more of her clothes off; her boots, socks, trousers. Soon she was down to her t-shirt and underwear. Still she was boiling and her breathing becoming shallower. Jack stood up, turning on the shower, the cold water would cool her down and clean her up. He took off his own jacket and tool belt. The water splashed down onto them both, their clothes clinging to their bodies. Jack cradled her body as the water ran freely, speaking in a whisper he tried to get her to respond. Her eyes flickered only slightly, then she opened them to look into his own. As he smiled down at her, she forced a smile back. His once child like eyes were striped of this innocent, only to be replaced with a thousand torments.

"Sam?"

His voice was almost unrecognisable, gone was the fun, sarcastic tone. Now in it's place was the sound of regret. Jack pulled her closer to him, comforting her while he prayed for someone to have seen where he was heading as he rushed through the base, but he knew that he wouldn't have known where he was going if he was them. Maybe one of them would use their common sense and coming looking for them in the shower room. Sam was as weak as Jack had ever seen her, she didn't look like the Sam Carter he knew, she was so frail. Her tired eyes told him that she was about to give in to the desire to sleep, for a very long time.

"What ever you do, don't close your eyes. You have to stay awake."

She sighed turning her head to look at him, her eyes told him everything he had to know.

She wouldn't have changed a thing back on the planet, if she had to do it again she would. She stood her ground when the Jaffa were advancing towards them. She new that Jack would blame himself, that is was his fault that things turned out as they did. The events unfolded due to Jack not paying attention to the Jaffa forces who were gaining on them. Bullets and staff blasts were flying from every direction and the scene was one of complete chaos. The gate was in their sights and they could get to it, they could. Daniel and Teal'c covered each other as they went through the gate, Sam and Jack were supposed to provide cover fire for each other too. As usual the best laid plans didn't work out. Sam fired shots at the advancing warriors as Jack made his way up to the gate. As he got there he turned to do the same for her. Unfortunately he was not able to keep up with the numerous shots coming their way. Sam was almost at the gate when the blast hit her, she fell down at the base of the ramp. The shock of what had happened brought Jack to his senses, he ran down to the bottom of the ramp and picked up the limp body of his secret love. He didn't think about his own safety, his own life, he only thought about getting to her and taking her back home. He never left anyone behind, no matter what. So with no cover fire he rushed back up the ramp and through the gate to safety.

Jack thought he heard someone coming down the corridor outside, he called out but here was no reply. He must have imagined it, his mind playing wicked tricks. He took her now cool hand in his, her skin was soft, new. Sam opened her mouth but nothing came out, she sighed as she fought to speak. Again she opened her mouth, this time the words came to her, slowly.

"I'm……so…… sorry."

Her voice filled with remorse, she stared with apologetic blue eyes. He shook his head, there was no need to be sorry. Sam swallowed hard and tried again:

"I'm sorry……I didn't……tell you…"

Her laboured breathing made it even more difficult for her to tell him. She knew that it was now or never, she knew that it was time.

"I do……love you……always…"

Jack looked down at her dying body, not wanted to give up hope. Someone would come for them. Sam cringed as a sharp pain ran through her, Jack held her tight wishing he could take her pain. He struggled to tell her how he felt:

"I love you too, you can't give up now……you've got so much….more….to give." A tear fell from his eye, falling onto her hand.

"You can't leave me now……that's an order."

He brushed her damp hair away from her face, a face could not live without. As another pain gripped her body he knew that no amount of praying would make things right, all he could do was be with her 'til the end. He held her close, pulling her arms around his neck, holding her tight he rocked her gently. Tears were building up in her soft eyes, he never wanted to see her cry. As the first tear fell he wiped it away.

"Don't cry, please don't cry, everything will be alright. You'll see."

As much as he tried to convince her, he knew that he was not doing it well enough, she could see right through him. But she didn't say, she just let him believe. Jack moved down to kiss her, those soft lips he had waited so long to taste. She kissed him back, using what little energy she had, she desperately wanted this last request. She held on tighter as he began to pull away. He stopped to gazed into her eyes, the pain he saw was almost unbearable. He tried to look away but he didn't want to miss a second with her, not when it could be the last. Sam began to shiver and tremble in his arms, he looked up at the shower head but it had automatically turned itself off ages ago. Still rocking her body he rubbed her arm.

"Just hang in there O.K? Daniel will be here any minute now, I know he will."

She could hear it in his voice, the hope fading. Her eye lids were getting heavy and she could feel the darkness engulf her. She wanted Jack to bring her back, to lead her towards the light, but it was not going to happen. She knew her time was nearly over as she mouthed a single word to him;

"Forever"

Her body tensed in his arms as she struggled to breathe. He could take no more. Everyone may think of him as being the strong and powerful leader he tried to be, but deep down, especially now he felt weak. He couldn't watch the woman he loved die in his arms. He wanted it to all go away, to fade into the distance, but what he wanted even more is for it to have never happened.

"I promise you they will pay, they will pay for taking you away from me. Please……" He sobbed as his heart broke, "God, you cannot take her away……I won't let you, I won't."

His sobbing became uncontrollable. Sam wished that she could comfort him, wished she could take his pain as well as her own. She wanted to die in the arms of the man she loved, but she didn't want the last thing she saw to be the pain in his now cold eyes and the hurt look on his face. Jack moved down to kiss her one last time, he struggled against the urge to cry. Sam kissed him back for the final time, then she whispered his name:

"_Jack"_

Her body went limp in his arms as her own arms fell from around his neck. He kissed her forehead as he lifted her up into his arms. He continued to rock her, forwards and backwards.

There was a creak as the door opened slowly. Daniel stood in the doorway, unable to understand the scene before him. Major Samantha Carter was dead in the arms of colonel Jack O'Neill. Sam was still covered in blood, her own and was drenched from head to foot from the water of the shower. Daniel turned away, cringing at what he had seen. Turning back he walked towards them, Jack didn't look up, instead he continued to watch her. He watch her like she was just sleeping, that she would wake at any moment. The tears that were once streaming down his face were down drying. The look in his eyes had changed, it didn't look like Jack at all. Anger was bubbling under the surface, his eyes were red from crying. He moved Sam tenderly away from him, laying her on the stone cold floor. Placing her arms onto her chest he stood up gazing down at her. It was like he didn't know who it was, like he couldn't recognise her face. Daniel stopped as he reached Jack. He wanted to tell him that it would be O.K but he knew that he would be lying. Jack looked up at him, he didn't say a word. Instead he walked straight passed him, heading for the door.

"Take care of her, keep her safe. They will pay for this, I will make them pay." The rage in his voice was so stronger, so powerful. " If I don't come back, take care of her."

With this he gave her body a fleeting look and left.


End file.
